


Soldier

by Squiggle_giggle



Category: The Night Shift (TV 2014)
Genre: Army, Doctor/Patient, Gay, Gay Bashing, Hospitals, M/M, Military, Minor Character Death, Soldiers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-26 17:29:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21377833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squiggle_giggle/pseuds/Squiggle_giggle
Summary: Sometimes, Drew loses a patient.
Relationships: Drew Alister/Rick Lincoln
Comments: 4
Kudos: 84





	Soldier

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys,  
So this will be the start of my Prompt series.

Rick was in the kitchen lazily cooking some breakfast after finishing his tiring night shift. He would occasionally throw a piece of bacon or mushroom to his overly excitable German Shepard, Major, waiting by his feet. The shift had been uneventful, a few house calls but mostly he was just in the patrol car responding to incoming messages from dispatch so no need for his SWAT gear that night.

Rick cracked some eggs into the pan as he heard the front door open, Major torn between staying and potentially getting some food or greeting Drew, eventually, his excitement won out and he went to greet his dad. The Captain thought it was a little odd at the quiet response from the other man but didn’t ponder too much as he focused on cooking breakfast for his husband and self.

“Hey, babe!” Rick welcome as he placed some bread in the toaster, “breakfast won’t be too long.” The silence was all he received but he shrugged it off, sometimes Drew wore his headphones and listened to his music to wind down after work. A few minutes later he began plating up when he suddenly felt a pair of arms tightly circle his waist, Drew’s face burying itself in between his shoulder blades.

“You’re cuddly,” Rick mused, not minding the affection at all. What did concern him was hearing his strong husband taking a harsh shuddering breath before it caught in his throat and turned into a violent sob. Extremely perturbed Rick dropped the pan back on the hot plate before taking the other man in his arms, only causing Drew to breakdown even more. “Sweetheart, what happened?”

“He... and I... couldn’t” Drew tried to explain but it was all coming out disjointed between heartbreaking sobs. Breakfast momentarily forgotten, Rick placed a hand on the small of the Doctor’s back and lead him to the couch, Major jumping up beside him in concern. Drew took a shaky breath and stroked behind the dog's ears to try and calm himself down

“Honey, can you tell me what’s wrong? Don’t feel pressured to but I’m worried about you, how did you even drive home?” Drew just shrugged, his eyes looking down at Major; not trusting himself to look at his husband. Bravely, he reached out for the other man’s hand who quickly took it and held it supportively.

“I don’t know,” Drew confessed, his voice steadier but still thick with emotion. “I was just kinda on autopilot towards the end of work but then I saw you and...I...” the doctor didn’t continue as his whole body wracked with debilitating sobs. Even more concerned now, Rick pulled his husband’s limp body against his chest as he cried. Drew gripped him tightly, his arms wrapped firmly around the other man’s neck as he rested his head on Rick's chest; the Captain laid themselves flat on the couch and massaged his husband’s hair as he tried to imagine what the hell happened at the hospital. 

“Did you get fired?” Rick asked tentatively, Drew shook his head roughly against the other man’s chest. “Did you get into a fight with Kenny?” Another shake, “did... a patient pee on you?” Normally that would get a laugh but all he received was another shake of his husband’s head. “Babe you need to help me out and tell me what’s wrong, I’m worried about you.”

“Well…”

* * *

“I need an ECG, a central line, a bag of O Neg and call up to Radiology to book a full-body MRI” TC Shouted as he rhythmically squeezed the intubation bag, Gwen guiding the gurney beside him towards the trauma bay. Drew quickly looked up from a chart he was filling out at the reception desk, he grabbed a pair of gloves and rushed over, slipping in and helping the patient.

“What happened to the guy?” Drew ask as he dabbed a large wad of gauze to the patient’s large facial lacerations, the blood immediately seeping through. When he didn’t hear a reply he looked up to see Gwen and TC share a look. “What?”

“He um…” Gwen started, “you’ve got this covered, I better go,” the paramedic said as she walked out and back to her rig.

“What happened Tee?” Drew demanded, now attending to an exposed rib to secure it before sending him to x-ray.

“Someone called about a rookie soldier they found beaten bloody outside a gay club on the east side of town, they failed to mention that someone had taken a hammer to his face and ribs,” TC explained, Drew’s jaw set tightly at the explanation. “You can tap out of this one, no one will blame you.” Drew just glared at his co-worker and set the guard rails of the bed.

“Let’s get him upstairs,” Drew told as he wheeled the bed out and up towards radiology.

* * *

Drew was standing vigil at the soldier’s bedside, he had been in surgery for hours and was now in the recovery unit. The doctor was holding the soldier’s chart as he wrote up the medications he wanted the man to be on. Just the standard antibiotics for the lesions and the suturing on his ribs from where the bone had been protruding, some anti-inflammatories to help with swelling, iv saline from the amount of blood he lost and lastly some pain medications because there was no doubt he would need them.

Drew watched the monitors closely, he couldn’t help as his mind raced with multiple scenarios as he looked down at the man. The soldier was beaten bloody because he was gay and in the army, the man was only 21 years old, Drew was 21 when he first met Rick. Of course Rick and he didn’t start dating until many years later but he saw himself in this man. The doctor just didn’t understand, the soldier had been out at a club with his friends, having a good time and enjoying a Saturday night out on the town and then these… bigoted idiots decide to attack him. Reports say that it was completely unprovoked, the soldier was leaving the club and on his way back to Base, minding his own business and not hurting anyone. Why did they have a hammer? Did they just go out looking to hurt people?

Drew quickly grabbed his phone from his scrub pants and sent a heartfelt ‘I love you’ message to Rick. It was irrational but he just needed his husband to know and not because he couldn’t stop imagining it was Rick laying in the bed before him. Surprisingly fast he received a message back, Drew assumed it must have been a slow night at the station.

2:30 am from Rick:_ Why? Should I not look at our bank statement? Did you break something?_

2:30 am From Drew:_ Don’t be so suspicious I didn’t do anything! Can't I just tell you that I love you?_

2:31 am From Rick:_ not once in the past 9 years without motivation, your mom isn’t coming to stay with us again is she?_

2:31 am From Rick:_ Is she?_

2:31 am from Rick:_ Baby? I can't go through that again. _

Drew laughed and pocketed his phone, he decided he would let his husband sweat. He felt better now, reassured that his husband was safe; with one last look at his patient, he walked out of the room and went to check on his other patients.

* * *

Drew was joking with Kenny in the break room somewhere around 6 am, the shift was winding down now; most of the night’s drama was taken care of. Kenny was telling Drew about a new CrossFit workout he had started when both of their pagers went off. Looking down and read the message (CODE BLUE RM 114), they flew from their chairs, ran out of the room and down the corridor.

“CODE BLUE, CODE BLUE” was heard over the PA system, Drew just knew by some sick twisted fate, it was his soldier patient. Rounding the corner, he pushed passed a female nurse and frantically checked over his vitals. The nurse started relaying pressing information when the monitor showed the patient flatlining, Drew quickly started chest compression as he willed the patient to live.

“Push Adrenalin!” Drew barked, sweat starting to perspire from his forehead as he continued CPR. Kenny grabbed the vial from the cart and inserted it through the IV, they watched the monitor but it showed no change.

“More Adrenalin!”

“Drew-“Kenny began.

“Adrenalin now!” against his judgment Kenny inserted more medication when the patient showed no sign of life again the doctor angrily grabbed the defibrillator from the crash cart. “Charging… CLEAR!”

“Clear,” Kenny affirmed as he and the other nurse stepped back from the bed as electricity surged through the patient. This continued on for ten minutes, compressions, defibrillation and more adrenalin than anybody could handle. Kenny tried to intervene but Drew was beyond reason, unaware of anyone else in the room, so he went and retrieved Topher.

“Drew!” Topher snapped as he watched the doctor tiringly continue on with chest compressions, “call it.” Getting no response he shouted at Drew again. “Drew he’s gone, call time of death.” Shaking his head when he once again garnered no response, Topher unplugged the defibrillator and pulled the doctor away from the deceased patient.

“Time of death 6:37 am. Go home Drew,” an intense glaring match broke out between the two doctors before Drew stormed out, he kicked the crash cart for good measure before making his way to the locker room.

* * *

“Then I took a shower, found Topher, apologised and came home.” Drew explained tiredly, currently being the little spoon as they lay on the couch; Rick soothingly stroked his husband’s short hair. “I don’t know why this case is affecting me so much, the first thing they teach you at Med School is not to get attached to your patients.”

“Babe, you know why this patient got to you,” Rick told softly, pressing a kiss to his husband’s head, “he’s military and gay, one of us. It’s hard to see.”

“I think it’s more than that,” Drew confessed, now staring off into space as he spoke. “I just keep imagining it was you laying on that hospital bed when we were that patient’s age we went to night clubs-“

“Yeah but never a gay club,” Rick defended, “and I would never have let you walk back to Base by yourself.”

“I'm not defenseless,” Drew rebuked, turning around to face the other man.

“And your patient probably thought the same thing but rarely anyone wins when it is three against one,” Rick explained, lifting a hand to cup the other man’s face. “Besides you are always so handsy after a few drinks that I never passed up the chance to take you home, you were so easy too.” Drew gave his husband a dirty look and slapped him indignantly on the chest. “What I'm trying to say is that you can't save them all, as much as I know you want to! You tried your hardest, you gave that patient top-quality care and there is nothing more you could have done to save him. All you can do now is honour that patient’s memory, we can go to his funeral if you want.”

“I’d like that,” Drew whispered, entangling his hand with Rick’s. Rick brought their joined hands up to his lips and pressed a loving kiss to them before surprising the other man by pulling him down and kissing him passionately. The doctor laughed as he deepened the kiss, thankful that his own soldier was safe here in his arms.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think! Leave a comment, I always reply


End file.
